Eyelet and rivet feeding device.



M. A. STEWART. EYELET AND B IVET FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION nun JAB. 1.1910.

Patented June 28, 1910.

J i a l J) G D E J Y: d7

.Z I 2 M M" I WI M G 1mm wamfiw Z M UNITED STAT- s PA ENT OFFICE-MATTHEW A. sTEwAn or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNo'E To THE MATT STEWARTCOMPANY, or mnmrnrs, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

EYELET AND RIVET FEEDING DEVICE.

Application filed January 7, 1910. Serial No. 536,869.

Rivet Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to apparatus for antomatically arranging theeyelets of a mass so that their flanges or flanged ends may all belike-turned (usually downward) and supplying'the arranged eyelets toother devices as fast or as slowly as they may be used or conveyed awayby such other devices.

7 Eyelets varying little intheir various dimensions and being usually sothin as to be easily distorted by pressure, it has been found diificultto arrange and feed-them automatically, even at a varying rate, withoutin any case distorting'an eyelet or failing to supply them at thedesired rate. The ends sugsted are reached by providing a receptacle,

or a mass of eyelets, having in its wall apertures through which aneyelet can pass only when presented in a predetermined way, and throwingthe eyelets against this perforated wall. An eyelet properly turnedfinding an aperture unobstructed passes through it and is thereaftercarried onward in pro er position to be used.

t e accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a .plan view of the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a section on theline 3-3, ig. 1. Fig. 4.

is an enlarged transversesection of a chute -seen also in Figs. .1. and3, an eyelet being shown therein. Fig. 5 is an enlarged .horizontalsection on theline' 5-5, Fig. 2, eyelets being s'hown in transit, Fig. 6is a view corresponding to Fig. 4, but showing a modified construction.4

In these views, A represents an upwardly oplen receptacle having itslateral walls rigy supported in any-suitable way, as by brackets B,which in this instance bear also a bearing B for the lower portion of averticglhshaft C in the of tjle receptaclg an aving an upper .tsupportefrom the wall-itself. The shaft is rotated 1n anysuitable way, as by apulley B and toit 1s fixed a late D forming the bottom of the -rece ta eand projecting. at D' beyond one si e of the latter. The upper surfaceof the plate is inclined upward about the shaft so that eye-lets in thereceptacle will tend to'move outward from the shaft so far as to bereadily afl'ected'by centrifugal force. The receptacle wall on the sidewhere the plate projects has in the lower edge of the part toward whichthe eyelets on the plate move when the latter rotates in Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented June 28, 1910- I the direction of the arrownotches E which runs along the upper face of the plate and p then turnsdownward at such an angle that eyelets will descend therein by gravity.The opposite walls of the chute are grooved at G to receive the flangesof eyelets H therein, and the distance between the walls is made onlyslightly greater than the diameter of the eyelet bodies, and usually thechute has no bottom, the eyelets being supported after they leave therotating plate by the lower walls of the grooves in which the flangeslie, these walls preferably extending inward and having upwardlyprojecting ribs K, as shown in Fig. 4, along which the eyelets slidewith very llttle friction.

- If a mass of eyelets be placed in the receptacle and the plate berotated continuously at a moderate rate, the eyelets are-constantlythrown against the notched portion of the wall, and as often as oneturned flange down finds in its path an unobstructed notch it passesthrough the; wall into the chute where, since it still rests upon therotating plate, it is gently urged toward the inclined portion of thechute by the frictional action between it and the plate. The eyeletswhich do not thus pass through the wall are deflected therebyiandcarried around againand again,

those not ,having their flanged ends downwardly turned being oftenturned until they assume that position, which they then tend to retainowing to the greater diameter of .that end.

If the size of the apparatus and the number of notches'be suitable, asurplus of eyelets will be maintained in the chute, no matter how fastthey ma be used or discharged at its lower end; an if at any time the entire bottom of the chute be covered no harm results for no eyelet of themass in the receptacle finds an unobstructed notch' and hence alljgo onuntil the removal of one or more from thechute leavw space for more toenter. The feed is thus self regulating,

'the eyelets being fed as fast as they may be needed and no faster, andno eyelet is ever subjected to material'pressure in any direction. Forstill further lessening the friction of the eyelets upon the chute, Isometimes support them on a single central rib J ,as shown-in Fig. 6,and in such case, it is obviousthat the eyelet cannot tilt.

For convenience the bodies to be fed have been termed eyelets, althoughthey may be considered as tubular rivets, and it is plain that so far asthe operation of this device is concerned the bodies to be arranged inproper position and fed may be non-tubular rivets or the like bodies thelength of which is not greatly in excess of their diameters. The chuteis preferably detachable and made of two parallel plates, which in thisinstance are shown as spaced apart by means .of short tubes L throughwhich pass screws M binding the plates together. Slight variations inthe width of the chute may be secured by using longer or shorter tubes,and if desired the whole chute may be replaced by one adapted foreyelets or rivets of materially different dimensions, the rest of theapparatus being unchanged.

For illustration I have shown the side walls of the receptacle asextending down alongside the margin of the greater part of the rotatingplate, but this is not essential,

nor is the construction invariable in various v of its upper surface,and provided on one p side with apertures through which eyelets and'thelike lying on the plate may pass only when properly positioned, andmeans for retaining upon the plate such eyelets as fail to pass throughsaid apertures.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combinatlon with ahorizontal rotary plate adapted to engage eyelets-by friction only, of abottomless chute crossing a portion of the lates upper surface,.inclined downwar beyond the plates margin, and having one wall providedwith apertures, above the plate, adapted to allow eyelets to pass singlywhen properly positioned, and means for re taining the eyelets upon theplate until they pass through said apertures.

k 3. The combination with an eyelet chute having in one wall aperturesthrough which eyelets may pass singly when turned into a predeterminedposition, and means for throwing eyelets by centrifugal force intopositions whereby they may be carried against the side provided withsaid apertures.

4. The combination with a rotary horizontal plate adapted to enga eeyelets by friction only, of a bottomless c ute crossing a part of theplates upper surface and having in that portion toward which articlesupon the rotating plate move apertures adapted to allow eyelets and thelike to pass 7 ried and further having below 'a narrow longitudinal,article supporting flangerovided with an upstanding rib adapte to holdsuch articlesjust below the walls which guide their bodies. Y

6. The combination with a rotary plate adapted to en age eyelets byfriction only, of a fixed wal for retaining articles upon the plate, anda deflectin wall crossing a portlon of the upper sur ace of the plateprovided with apertures, ada tedto permit eyelets and the like supporteby the rotating plate to pass out when they are turned into apredetermined position, and a bottomless chute without the-wall inposition to receive the eyelets and direct their course while they arefrictionally urged onward by the portion of the late without said wall.

7. In eyelet ,fee ing apparatus, the combination with an approximatelyhorizontal rotary plate, of a fixed wall dividing the sur:

face of the plate into unequal segments and provided Wlth, notches, inits lower edge,

adapted to allow eyelets to'pass singlybut only when turned topredeterminedposition, and means for-preventing eyelets from passing of?the margin ofthe larger segment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.c

-MATTHEW 'A. STEWART." [1 5.] vWitnesses: r JOHNS. BAKER, CHARLES J.KIERAN.

